Washing machine wringer



y 1943 F.'BRECKENRIDGEI 2,319,294

WASHING MACHINE WRINGER Filed May 25, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l J I" IIWITNESSES: INVENTOR 0% WW 74m arec/(mr/q' a ATTbRNEY May 18, 1943 F.BRECKENRIDGE I 9,

I same MACHINE WRINGER Filed May 23, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2- WITNESSES:

' I vlNVEN-TOR (96W [Va/7% fin cke/riv'a aa ATrQRNEY y 1 F. BRECKENRIDGEWASHING MACHINE WRINGER Filed May 23, 1959 5 sheets-she t 4 I INVENTORFarr/r 5/604 9/7/7'4" WITNESSES; I

- ATfORNEY MaylS, 1943 F. BRECKENRIDGE WASQING MACHINE WRINGER Filed Ma-2s, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES:

' ATTORNEY Patented May 1 8, 1 943- Frank Breckenridle, Mansfield, Ohio,assignor to Westinghouse Electric I: Manufacturing Company, EastPittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of A Pennsylvania Application May23,1939, Serial 275,164

. I, 3 Claims. (Cl. 2402) I My invention relates to washing machinewringers and more particularly to the design and construction ofinternally mounted illuminating structures therefor;

With those wringers known to the art which have had a light incorporatedtherewith, it has been'necessary to clamp a removable. lamp to theoutside of such wringer frame. These lamps have usually been in the form.of the wellknown goose-neck construction which required the operator tobend the light from side to side depend-'- ing upon the exact positionit is desired to have the light. This particular arrangement of a lampstructure is not only unsightly but is in an operator's way.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide and locate alight or lights within a wringer frame in such .a manner that the lighttherefrom may be thrown on the wringer rolls as well as into the washtub and the receptacle into which the wrung clothes are discharged. Whenelectric power wires are associated with a wringer frame or structure,it has been necessary to bring the wire or wires from the washingmachine structure proper to the wringer frame on the outside of thehousing. By-having the electric wires located outside a suitablemechanical sheath, such wires are subjected to the sloppage from thewashing tub as well as the additional danger of the operator coming incontact 11 with them. A further disadvantage of having the wires locatedon the outside of the housing or wringer head is that the wires mayeventually become twisted as the wringer is rotated about the driveshaft as an axis causing such wires to become broken and crossedresulting in the possibility of grounds to the frame or a serious shockto an operator.

It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to provide meanslocated within the wringer housing or frame for conducting power wiresinto such wringer frame without causing them to become twisted orcrossed as the wringer head is swung about a vertical drive shaft as anaxis,

for preventing 'sloppage from the washing ma- I chine tub fromcontacting the conducting means in any manner whatsoever, and forpreventing an operator from coming into contact with such on each sidethereof. The lamp 462 and the re lowing description of a deviceembodying my indrawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a wringerembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fi l;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thedevice shown in Fi 4;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of .a modified form of the deviceembodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VIVI of Fig.3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along'the line VII-'VII of Fig. 6;

Fig; 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6; andv Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lime IX--IX of Fig. 8.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, 1 show awringer l2 having'a frame l6, transmission housings 20, transmissionmechanism 24, an interlocking device 26, an auxiliary clutch 28,illuminating device 38 and electrical energy-translating device 4|,therefor.

The wringer l2, including frame l6, transmission housing 20 havinglocated therein the transmission mechanism 24 and the auxiliary clutch28 operatively associated therewith is fully described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 288,311, filed August 4, 1939. The interlockingdevice. 26 is fully described in my copending application Serial No.275,165, filed May I 23, 1939.

The illuminating device 38 operatively associated with wringer l2 above"the transmission mechanism 24 and housing 20, comprises alamp I62, areceptacle 464, and a reflector shield member 56 having open-mouthedlouvres 468 located ceptacle 464 are. located within the reflectorshield 466, which is, in thisinstance, located upon and removablyattached to the wringer l2 above the transmission housing 20 and at theside of a removable longitudinally extending wringer top cover H2.

The reflector shield 466 is, in this instance, a

light weight metallic cover plate which may have a light-reflectinginterior surface to increase the operating emciency thereof. Thereflector shield 466 may be attached to the wringer by means of aresilient latching member 416 attached to the inner surface of thereflector and cooperating of the wringer housing. In other words, the

lamp 462 located within the reflector shield will with a notched latch41: attached to the transthen be located within the wringer housingregardless of the position and location of the reflec tor on thewringer.

The lamp receptacle 464 may be rigidly attached to the wringer frame l6by means of a lock nut 414 cooperating with a threaded nipple 416associated with the receptacle. The nipple 416 is inserted through anaperture 418 in the side walls of the wringer frame l6. Electric wires486. connecting the lamp to a source of power (not shown), are broughtout through the nipple 416 and down through the wringer housing l6 tothe electrical energy-translating device 4| which conducts electricenergy intothe wringer in a manner hereinafter described. The lamp 462is inserted within the receptacle 464 and, is, therefore, operativelyassociated with a power supply (not shown) through the cooperation ofthe translating device 4|.

With the lamp located within the receptacle 464 and reflector shield466, and operatively associated with a power supply, light may beemitted therefrom and will be reflected by the inner surface of thereflector out through the open louvres 468. A pre-focused lens 482 maybe located in the outer open portion of the louvres 468 so as to focus aportion of this light over the end portion 422 of the drain shield 88along the wringer rolls, a. portion down'in the wash tub 484, and aportion into a receiving receptacle such as a basket located on thedelivery or exhaust side of the wringer.

It is, therefore, obvious that the lamp 462 located within the housingof the wringer l2 will,

' by means of the illustrated suitable louvres and lens, illuminate bothsides of the wringer rolls and drain shield or clothes chute, the washtub, and the receiving basket located on the other side of the wringer.With such an illumination of a wringer, it would be possible to use suchwringer in a position having poor or no other illumination without anoperator being endangered, such as, by sticking her hands into thewringer rolls. In other words, a washer equipped with a wringer having alight within the wringer housing which will illuminate the ringer rolls,the wash tub and receiving receptacle may be used with the utmost safetyand convenience in any desired location, even where there is no otherlight source.

When incorporating a light source with wringers having a curved orrounded top surface it is advisable if not absolutely necessary to havethe lights mounted directly upon and close to the operating mechanismsthereof. Accordingly, referring to Figs. 3, 4, 6 and '1, I show amodified and preferred form of wringer illumination. I show a wringer 16having a frame l4, transmission housing 18, transmission mechanism 22,an illuminating device 46 and an electrical energytranslating devicetherefor.

. The modified illuminating device 46, for illuminating the wringer,wash tub and receptacle,

comprises a plurality of lamps 496, (see Fig. 7) located within theshoulders 52 of the clothes chute or drain shield 56, a. plurality ofreceptacles 492 and suitable supporting brackets 494 therefor.

The brackets 494 are, in this instance, rigidly a tached to an inwardlyextending protrusion 118 by means of suitable screws 496 (see Figs. 6and 7). The brackets 494 are bent inwardly and downwardly so that thelamps 496 operatively associated therewith extend up within theshoulders located at the end of the clothes chute or drain shield. I

Apertures 498 are located on the top portion at the inside of theshoulders 52 of the drain shields (as shown by dotted lines in Fig. '7).apertures 498 are located in such a position, relative to the lamps 496and the wringer rolls 66 and 68 that the light emitted by such lampswill be directly transmitted from the inside of the shoulders throughthe apertures onto the wringer roll. By having the bottoms of theshoulders 52 open, which is a common practice, a portion of the lightemitted from the lamps 496 will be directed downwardly through theshoulders and accordingly tub because of the particular shape of theshoulders 52, see dotted lines on Fig. 4 which illustrate the path ofthe light rays. In other words, one of the lamps 496 will illuminate oneside of the wringer rolls, clothes chute or drain shield by the lighttransmitted through the aperture 498, and will illuminate either thewash tub or receptacle by the light which is directed downwardly throughthe shoulders 52, whereas the lamp located on the transversely oppositeside of the wringer will illuminate the opposite side of the wringerrolls, clothes chute or drain shield and either the receptacle or thewash tub.

It is to be understood that the brackets 4 54 and lamps 496 may belocated in either end, or in both ends of the wringer, if desired, inwhich case said brackets and lamps' are substantially duplicated. It is,therefore, obvious that by utilizing this device embodying my invention,it is possible to illuminate the wringer rolls, the wash tub and clothesreceptacle by means of lamps located entirely within the wringer housmg.

Itis preferred that a sheet of translucent or transparent material suchas glass 500 be located within the apertures 498 substantially as shownin Figs. 8 and 9 to prevent moisture from being splashed upon the lamps.The glass 500 may be inserted within a notched groove 562 (see Fig. 9)located within the shoulder 52 or in any other desirable manner. Theglass is then retained within the groove 562 by means of a resilientmember 564 (see Fig.8) which may be swingably I mounted upon the frame14. The swingably mounted resilient member 564 may be positioned underthe glass 566 in such a manner that, as the glass is slid or positionedwithin the groove 562, such resilient member will move under the glassand retain it within the groove 50:. a translucent or transparentmember, such as glass, located within the aperture 498, the moisturecontained within the clothing run through the wr nger cannot splash orget into the wringer frame many manner whatsoever, so as to injure theelectrical connections associated with the lamps or electricaltranslating device 43.

It is, therefore, obvious that the illuminating devices 462, 496, or thelike, may be located within The By having 7 the wringer frame itself orwithin a portion of the wringer housing, and that the wringer frame maybe utilized as a reflector for directing light, or that a portion of thehousing may be removably attached to the frame to direct such light inthe manner hereinabove described.

Electric power is transmitted into the wringer housings by means of theelectrical translating devices 4| or 43, shown with wringers l2 and I inFigs. and 6, respectively. However, it is to be understood that thetranslating devices may be interchanged or used with any desiredswinging wringer.

The translating device 4| shown in Fig. 5 comprises a substantially flatinsulating annulus 50l having a plurality of annular grooves 503 out orpositioned therein. The insulating annulus SM is preferab'.y formed of aphenolic resin. ,Metallic electric conducting rings 505 are placedwithin the grooves 503 and are operatively associated with a suitableelectric supply cable 501 which is adapted to connect to a power supply,f not shown).

The insulating annulus SM is positioned within an annular slot locatedin the upper surface of the wringer support bracket 326 of wringerstructure I2 which is rigidly attached to the washing machine tub 484. I

Suitable electrical pick-up fingers 5'09 are insulatedly attached to theinner surface of the wringer transmission housing by means of aninsulating block 5| I. The fingers 509 are shaped so as to be locatedwithin the grooves 503 and to contact the metallic conductor rings 505.

The electric cable 480, operatively associatedwith the lamp 462, ashereinabove described, is directly connected to the fingers 509. It is,therefore, obvious that, through the cooperation of the electricaltranslating device 4|, power will always be available for the lamp 462,or any other electrical device placed within the wringer housing.

The electrical translating device 43, shown in Fig. 6, as beingoperatively associated with wringer I0, comprises a plurality ofconducting sleeves 513 insulated from each other and the transmissionhousing l8 by suitable insulating sleeves H5. This composite structureof conducting and insulating sleeves H3 and 5l5 is positioned within anannular groove 5 I I in the bearing plate 46 upon which the wringer l0rotates. An' insulating ring H9 is positioned in the bottom of thegroove 5!! to insulate the bottom edges of the conducting sleeves 5l3from th plate 46. The power cable 501 is operatively associated with theconductor sleeves 5l3 to connect them to any suitable power supply (notshown).

- The conductor and insulating sleeves 5l3 and 515 are progressivelyshorter from the inner to the outer insulating sleeve. This arrangementresults in each of the conductor sleeves 513 bein exposed at their upperends. Flexible electrical pick-up fingers HI, accordingly, may thencooperate with the upper or exposed portions of the conductor sleeves 3.These fingers 5 are insulatedly attached to the transmission housing bymeans of an insulating block 523, and are associated with the electricconductor "I leading to lights 4". The fingers "I are positioned, inthis instance, substantially in line with the conductor sleeves illrather than being. normal thereto.

This arrangement permits th wringer structure to be freely and readilyremoved from the washer without causing any injury to the fingers orsuch structure.

It is obvious that with the electrical translating devices positionedwithin the wringer housing that the sloppage from the washer cannot inany way contact the devices so as to injure them or cause thecooperating parts thereof to corrode.

It is, therefore, apparent that with a light source mounted within andattached to a wringer so as to be free from sloppage, and with anelectrical translating device operatively associated therewith, which isalso free from any moisture or sloppage, for readily conductingelectrical energy to the lamps, as hereinabove described, such wringermay be safely operated in any position, even where there is little or noother light source.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire,therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as areimposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a wringer including a frame, a set of rollsand aclothes chute located on each side of the rolls, said clothes chuteshaving upstanding shoulders at each end thereof, a plu-.

rality of lamp-sockets, a plurality of light sources comprising lampsoperatively associated with said sockets, means comprisingirregularly-shaped brackets for rigidly attaching the lamp sockets Iilluminate both sides of said rolls and both clothes to said frame andfor supporting the lamps within said upstanding shoulders, and meanscomprising apertures located within said shoulders for directing thelight from said light sources to chutes.

2. In a wringer construction, the combination of a frame having clotheschutes disposed on opposite sides thereof and hollow shoulders extendingtransversely of the frame at adjacent ends of the clothes chutes, a pairof rolls joumaled in the frame and disposed intermediate the clotheschutes, said shoulders having respective apertures therein on oppositesides of the rolls and lighting means arranged within the respectivehollow shoulders, the construction and arrangement being such that lightis projected through said apertures upon both sides of the rolls andupon both of said clothes chutes.

3. In a wringer construction, the combination of a frame, a pair ofrolls journaled in the frame,

a pair of clothes chutes carried by the frame on opposite sides of therolls, said frame including a pair of hollow shoulders extendingtransversely of the frame at adjacent ends of the clothes chutes, saidshoulders having respective windows therein above the ends 'of theclothes chutes and said shoulders having openings in the bottomsthereof, and lighting means arranged within the respective shoulders forprojecting light through said windows upon both sides of the rollsandupon both clothes chutes and d- 'vnwardly through the openings in thebottoms of the shoulders to a region disposed below the shoulders andthe clothes chutes.

FRANK anncxanamon.

